Jacob Sullum on Obama's Lies

When he took office, Barack Obama promised "an unprecedented level of openness in Government." As part of that commitment, he pledged fidelity to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which he called "the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government." But as Jacob Sullum observes, it is hard to reconcile these lofty memos with the Justice Department's proposed regulation instructing federal agencies to falsely deny the existence of records sought under FOIA. At least the Obama administration, which withdrew the regulation in November following a flood of criticism, is open about its desire to mislead us.